What is Karma?

Answer 1

Karma is the doctrine of cause and effect. The word karma means "action". Sometimes the word is also used to mean the effect of action. According to this doctrine, all good actions produce good effects, and bad actions bad....The fruits of good deeds bring pleasure and enjoyment to the doer, while fruits of bad deeds cause him suffering and pain.

According to this philosophy, the energy of an action is transformed into another kind of energy. Eventually it comes back to the doer--much like a boomerang-effect.

Every person is responsible for his or her acts and thoughts, so each person's karma is entirely his or her own. Occidentals see the operation of karma as fatalistic. But that is far from true since it is in the hands of an individual to shape his own future by schooling his present.

Karma refers to the totality of mankind's actions and their concommitant reactions in current and previous lives, all of which determine the future. However, many karmas do not have an immediate effect; some accumulate and return unexpectedly in an individual's later lives. The conquest of karma is believed to lie in intelligent action and dispassionate reaction.

There are three types of karma in Hinduism:

1. sanchita karma, the sum total of past karmas yet to be resolved;
2. prarabdha karma, that portion of sanchita karma that is to be experienced in this life; and
3. kriyamana karma, the karma that humans are currently creating, which will bear fruit in future.


Stored up karmic forces from past lives is called sanchita karma. When the karmic forces mature and starts acting on the mind and body, it is called prarabdha karma. Any action done in this life or its effect is called kriyamana karma or agami karma.

Karma as a spiritual law, is not adjusted according to our various and conflicting definitions of success and failure. From an inner standpoint, the soul's happiness is often the suffering of the ego and the happiness of the ego is often the suffering of the soul.

Ultimately we must go beyond all karma, good or evil. The greatest virtue does not seek to change the world or improve us but to rest in harmony with the peace of what is.

Answer 2

Hinduism and Buddhism believe in Karma.
Karma is True and is scientific

If we do bad, we get back bad results and if we do good, we get back good results is Karma theory.

When we do good Karma, we create positive energies and they affect us and all around us. and vice versa...is Karma

If we dont get the result in this life, Karma energy is not destroyed hence we get it in next birth

That is the answer as to why some are born rich, some poor, some wise, some stupid...some suffer while doing good and some enjoy while doing bad.

Karma may not give results instantaneously, it may become ripe for giving results in next birth

Answer 3

Its a small hill dwelling sheep.

Because they live on the slopes they have developed legs on one side of their body longer than the other (so they can stand up straight on a steep hill). It is illegal to keep them as pets, unless your house has steep floors. This is because the Karma will fall over on flat surfaces. The Singer Boy George one wrote a song about a terrible genetic experiment were a Karma and a Chameleon were cross bred in the UK. The creature escaped in to the River Thames! The government had to drain the Thames to recapture the creature, and London was closed most of the day Tuesday whilst it was refilled.

Answer 4

Karma is that aspect of Spirituality in absence of which neither the body nor the Atman the soul within can survive. If we are to clean our house then the best way out is using a vacuum cleaner. Every vacuum cleaner may have different gadgets but the prime purpose of all is to assist in reaching the prime goal ... the prime objective ... the cleaning of the house.

In the realm of Spirituality ... every Atman the soul within is but a Dhrishta (onlooker) ... it cannot function on its own ... every Atman the soul within needs a body to accomplish its goal. and the body has to perform its Karma so that the Atman within can reach its goal ... no human being can remain without performing its Karma ... if I don't want to work ... the hunger within the stomach will force me to work ... once we get married ... in all likelihood our chances of not working may not workout as the wife and the children would goad us again and again for inaction ... this would eventually lead us to performing our Karma.

Every Atman the soul within manifests a body again and again until it regains its original pristine pure form ... all dross having being removed ... the Atman the soul within is free from the bondage of Life and Death ... it liberates forever from the cycle of life. It becomes free forever.


I distinctly remember when I was a student I used to get a new blazer every five years. How happy I felt the moment I was told that the time was due for the new blazer. At the time of the death of the body ... the Atman within is looking forward to getting the new coat ... a new Spiritual realm ... a new life! The goal of the life of the human body is not for the body ... the human being ... the fruits of the goal can only be enjoyed by our Atman the soul within.

This cycle of manifestations (8.4 million in total) continue forever. It takes almost 96.4 million years before an Atman the soul within gets liberated. It is the soul the atman within, which has taken the body, and not vice versa ... the process keeps on repeating and no human being has any control over it whatsoever. Even God does not interfere. God created Karma to take care of the rest of the process. The residual Karma gets transferred from one life to another.

If my Atman the soul within leaves the mortal frame in this life at number 39 on the cosmic scale then the next body the Atman shall take shall correspond to number 39. One can never be born on number 42 ... the theory of Karma is binding on one and all. Even our Atman the soul within is not free from the clutches of Karma. Every living being right from the stage of an amoeba (the first manifestation by our Atman) ... subsequently as a mosquito ... then a plant, an animal and finally evolving into a human being ... none can escape undergoing Karma. It is that essential ingredient which controls the destiny of every being.


Performing our own Karma is not a bondage ... we are not forced to do the Karma ... we can choose our life goal of our own making ... we can always indulge in matters of our liking ... as children sometimes the decision of the parents can be enforced upon us but it is for our better future they are doing so ... being immature we may not realize the absolute truth behind the decisions of our parents yet, no parent would ever desire ill will of their children.

Karma does not mean the physical action alone ... whatever we think and do ... the end result is the resultant Karma which governs our life. Even if we do not harm the other is equally ... but if in our thoughts we think ill will of the other ... the Karma has been done ... we may not be awarded as many points as we may have incurred had we act committed the physical act ... but on the scale of sin ... we have committed a unpardonable act! and the penalty points would definitely be awarded. In Jainism it is termed as bhava Karma ... you think ... and the act is done.

It is really beyond belief that Human Beings continue to weigh Spirituality on the scales of science. Can we ever think of seeing the beautiful smell of a flower ... we only feel it ... likewise all our actions are divided either on the physical or the mental plane. Anything we think or do results in a residual Karma ... how can we ever think of developing a Karma index ... the prime reason why a non graduate like Bill Gates holds the scientific world on his tips ... the best of the technological community works under his command ... there must be something else other than the engineering or the scientific background which makes the likes of a person like Bill Gates. More on what is Karma here- http://www.vijaykumar.com/what_is_karma.html

Answer 5

There are an immense number of books on this subject, it's very interesting. In short, Karma is " whatever you *put out* there, comes back to you". Every thought, word and deed. The Christians refer to it as "reaping what you sow". Look it up on google, it's too hard to explain, or go to your local bookstore.

Answer 6

If we accept the basic ethical purpose of Karma is to behave responsibly, and the tenet of Karma may be simply stated 'if you do good things, good things will happen to you - if you do bad things, bad things will happen to you',

Answer 7

Karma literally means action or doing.Any kind of volitional or intentional action whether mental,verbal or physical is regarded as Karma.IT covers all that is included in the phrase:"thought,word or deed."Generally,all good and bad actions constitute Karma.In its ultimate sense,Karma means all moral and immoral volition.Involuntary,unintentional or unconscoius actions,though technically deeds,do not constitute Karma,because volition,the most important factor in detremining Karma is absent.Without intention,a deed is sterile;it produces no reactionof moral significance.

Answer 8

Karma- Destiny or fate in general
In my words if you do something bad to someone bad things will happen to you also.

Answer 9

kar·ma (kärm)
n.
1. Hinduism & Buddhism The total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence, regarded as determining the person's destiny.
2. Fate; destiny.
3. Informal A distinctive aura, atmosphere, or feeling

Answer 10

it's what comes back to you...whether good or bad karma. what you gave is what you'll get.